Uber Driver In D.C. Arrested For Allegedly Raping A 20-Year-Old Passenger, Now Released And Not Being Charged*

Original Story: A driver associated with
Uber,
an instant town-car-hailing service, has been arrested on charges
of sexual assault of a passenger,
The Washington Post reports.

Anouar Habib Trabelsi, a limo
driver from Alexandria, Virginia who used Uber's technology,
allegedly raped a 20-year-old after he dropped her off at her
home on December 8.

According to a court document,
the woman was asked if she had "ever dated a Moroccan man" and
when she didn't respond, "the driver kept trying to make small
talk." She then paid $36 for her ride; her receipt says she was
dropped off at 2:33 in the morning.

Trabelsi allegedly followed her
down the driveway and grabbed her by the arm which knocked her
over. The document claims he then kissed and raped
her.

Trabelsi was arrested Tuesday;
he's being charged with one count of first-degree sexual abuse,
police told The Washington
Post.

An Uber spokesperson says
Trabelsi has not worked with the startup since it learned of the
incident.

"Immediately
upon being told that a driver for Capitol Limo, a limo company
utilizing Uber technology, was suspected of committing a crime,
we deactivated the partner account. He has not done a single ride
through Uber since then,” Uber's D.C. general manager Rachel Holt
said in a statement.

Holt also says Uber has worked
closely with the police to investigate the situation.

"The safety of our users is
absolutely paramount, and we will continue to be vigilant that
riders’ safety and security are protected,” she said.

Trabelsi is married, and his
wife maintains her husband's innocence. "He did nothing wrong.
It’s an unfortunate situation,” she tells The Washington
Post.